Alternating-current-responsive apparatus.



H. J. VAN DER BIJL.

ALTBRNATING CURRENT RESPONSIVB APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1914.

1,1 30 G43 Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

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ment; in Alternating-Current-Responsive Apparatus, of which the following 1s a full, I

lcf clear, concise,- and exact descripti on.

This invention relates to apparatus and systems responsive to alternating currents.

One of its objectsis the generation of alternatingcurrentsof a ,given frequency from .-a controlling source of alternating currents; of a.-l esse r frequency.

Another'object is the detection offeeble vlews.

electric oscillations.

Inf-accordance with" the invention, a stream of ions, in a circuit to be Controlled isfinfluenced by aypaili, or a plurality of .pairs of electrodes in such a manner that I each half-wave of the alternating current impulses in a controlling c1rcu1t s eifectwe 25. indistorting or deflecting the stream of.

ionsso -as to change in the same direction the strength of the normal current in the '-controlled'circuit.'- The two electrodes are located in the'region of the stream of ions 3cl-and are oppositely connected to the source .ofalternating current in the controlling circuit,a neutral connection being prov1ded from said source-to an electrode, preferably the ionizing cathode, in the controlled cir- 35. cult. The stream of ions may be generated by a heated cathode, such as a metallic filain'ent or Wehnelt cathode, or by a mercury cathode .as in the mercury are, or by any other suitable means. It is desirable, cspecially' in the application of the invention to .a thermionic device, to locate the two 1 electrodes of'the pair or of each pair in the controlling circuit on opposite sides of the l stream, in which case they are preferably in the form of plates lying approximately .parallel to. the stream. The result of the combination stated isthe generation of a fluctuating current in the controlled circuit having twice the frequency of the Y alternating current in thejcont'rollingcircuit. By joining in a cascade formation a number'of apparatus and circuits each adapted to generate a currentyhavifng twice the fre- Specification ofiiett'ers Patent. a plication filed Fur c, 1914} Serial No."849,299.

' quency.

stood by reference to I attach Arm" 'e-cmm" marsnirsm hrmnnrus.

ratenteii Mar. 2,1915.

quency cit-the currnt'impressed upon'it, it

is possible to attain any desired high frelhe invention will be more fully underthe accompanying drawings, wherein r Figure I 'llustrates a thermionic device and-system of circuits therefor embodying 'the invention ;i Fig, 5 2 illustrates a mercury arc' apparatus suitable for use 'in the same circuit as that of Fig.1, and Fig. 3'illustrates a modified thermionic device employ inga plurality'of electrodes for the controlling circuit-instead of a' single pair as shown in Fig. 1.

Like reference characters are applied'to parts havinglike functions in the several Referring to the, drawings generally, but

more particularly to' Fig. 1 fih eof,-- stream of ions is generated in the space inclosed hy'a vessel lbetween a heated'filament or cathode 2', and an anode 3. 'The circuit to be controlled includes this stream of ions'and may also include a 'reactance coil 4 and source of direct current 5. ihe 'controlhng circuit includes the secondary the middle point'of the winding 6' leads to the cathode 2. A battery or other source of current 10 may be provided for heating the cathode. lfn shunt of the reactance coil 4 and source of current 5 is a branch including in series a condenser 11 and the primary winding 12of a' repeating coil 13'. The re peating coil 7 has a primary winding 14 which receives alternating current from any desired source. The repeating coil 13 connected to the-incoming or primary winding 14 of another system of circuits like Fig. 1, or may be connected to any suitable receiving instrument, according to the use to which the apparatus is applied.

The circuitconnections illustrated in Fig.

1 may be applied without modifications to the structure of Fig. 2, except that the bat- "tery'10 would'not be used with the latter has a secondary winding 15, which-may be The filaments may be heated in any esired manner. As shown, they are connectedin' parallel to the battery '10.- The electrodes 8 and 8 are joined together and. connected to one terminal of the winding 6, and the electrodes 8 -and 8 are likewise joined together and connected to the other terminal of the winding 6. The three filaments lieparallel to the electrodes 8, 8, 8", 8? and each at or adjacent the opening between and at one side of a pair of these electrodes. The anode, or plate 3, lies transversely to the planes of the electrodes 8, 8, 8 8 and at or adjacent the openings between and at a the other-side of said electrodes.

The operation is as follows, referring more particularly to Fig. 1: An alternate current received in the primary winding 14 of the repeating coil 7 is reproduced by the secondary winding 6 thereof in the controllingcircuit and creates alternating and opposite potential changes on the electrodes 8 and 8*, 8 becoming positive while 8 is negative, and conversely 8 becoming negative while 8 is positive. A normal current flows from the source of direct current 5 in the controlled circuit, which includes in series the source 5, the reactance 4, the cathode 2, the anode 3 and the space between the cathode and anode. This space current is alternately distorted, or is deflected toward the electrode 8 and toward the electrode 8 by each half-wave of the in coming current. Every distortion or deflection tends to reduce the current flow in the controlled circuit, that is to say, each of the two impulses of each complete cycle of the incoming current produces a like change, i. e., a like reduction in the strength of ourrent flowing in the controlled circuit. The

complete cycle of current in the latter circuit is thus just one-half the -duration of the incoming current and therefore the frequency of variations of current in the controlled circuit is just twice the frequency of the incoming alternating current. These variations in the controlled circuit may be reproduced bythe secondary winding 15 of the transformer 13 in any other circuit or apparatus 'that maybe connected thereto. By connecting together in cascade arrangement a number of circuit systems like Fig. 1,

the frequency of current delivered to the first in the series may be increased to any desired extent in the last of the series.

The operation with the structure shown in Fig. 2 is substantially the same as with that -01 Fig. 1. The normal arc stream in the contro11ed ar a of Fig. 2 between the eathode 1,6 and the a ode 3 is deflected during -'o'i'ie lia'lf cycle of the "incomingwaves I toward the electrodeB and during the other filaments to the anode or plate 3, each influenced by a pair of electrodes. The stream from the filament 2 is influenced by the elec-' trodes 8 and 8; that from the filament 2' by the electrodes 8" and 8", and that from the filament 2 by the electrodes8 and 8. The operation, however, is essentially the same as that described with reference to Fig. 1, the difference being merely that the .multiplicity of filaments and electrodes tends to a greater capacity in output energy.

The apparatus herein described is useful not only as means for generating a very high frequency alternating current, with the cascade formation mentioned, but also as an oscillating wave detector, inasmuch as the alternate impulses of the incoming Waves" produce a net change of current in the same direction in the controlled circuit.

What is claimed is: r

1. The combination of a circuit to be controlled including a pairof electrodes and a stream of ions therebetween, a controlling circuit including a source of alternating current, a neutral connection from said source of current to one of said electrodes, and a second pair of electrodes oppositely connected to said source and located in the region of said stream.

2. The combination of a circuit to be controlled including a pair of electrodes and a stream of ions therebetween, a controlling circuit including a source of alternating current, a neutral connection from said source of current to one of said electrodes, and a second pair of electrodes oppositely connected to said source, located in the regionofsaid stream and adapted under the infiuence of said alternating current to deflect said stream.

3. The combination of a circuit to be con-' trolled including a pair of electrodes and a stream of ions therebetween, a controlling circuit including a source of alternating current, a neutral connection from said source of current to one of said electrodes, and a second pair of electrodes oppositely connect ed to said source and located on opposite sides of said stream.

4. The combination of a circuit to be controlled including a cathode and a stream of ions moving therefrom in space, a controlling circuit including a source of alternating current, a neutral connection from said source of currentto said cathode, and a second of a circuit to be controlled including a heat- Lpair of electrodes oppositely connected to saidsourceland located in the region of said streams;

5. In athermionicdevice the combination 1 1 ed cathode, an anode and a stream of ions moving therebetween, a controlllng circuit 1 'includinga'source of alternating current, a

neutral'connection from said source of current to said heated cathode, and a pair of electrodes oppositely connected to said source and located in the region of said stream.

- 6. The combination of a circuit to be controlled, including a pair of electrodes and a stream of ions moving therehetweeii, acon trolling circuit including asource of alte'rnating current a neutral connection from said source of current to one of said elecparallel to said stream;

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my namethisBrd day of July A. D, 1914.

murmur JOHANNES m m BIJL.

Witnesses:

K. L. STAHL,

NAROD E. TUTHILL. 

